He picks his spots with rookie G D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers outshot the Raptors 47.6 percent to 41.5 percent, but allowed Toronto to hit eight of 16 (50 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. DeMarre Carroll’s 3-pointer capped the rally with 7:58 to play, giving Toronto its biggest lead.
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Consecutive buckets by DeRozan and Carroll, though, sealed the outcome for Toronto.
LA Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games at home. Kobe has yet to get into a rhythm in order to play efficiently on a nightly basis while also dealing with his 37-year-old body breaking down. This comes just days after he stated he wouldn’t play Bryant anywhere near that minute load this season again. That sounds like a winning team.
“But I appreciate those standards, because it’s something that still pushes me, still drives me, Bryant said”.
Sure, the former All-Star has a few holes in his game.
“Our execution was really bad, but I still think that the problem is our energy”, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. Playing Brandon Bass and Lou Williams more isn’t going to get this team where Lakers fans want it to be. He’s going to do that every game. Kobe has had a winner’s mentality with a never-say-die attitude over the course of his near 20 years in the league, but that seems to have taken a backseat to the development of the squad’s promising young players. For most, it’s been a long, grueling process that has featured only two victories on the season. This was just one of those nights that demonstrated his promise. Still, five of the Raptors six losses this year have come on the road.
“He’s an All-Star”, Russell said. He’s still only 26 years old, meaning he could grow with the Lakers young trio and help return the franchise to contention. Astonishingly, the Raptors and Clips are tied at the top of the table for most free throw trips, at 28.7.
He kept up his aggressiveness in the second half continuing to be a factor in transition and took opposing defenders to the rim using his strength to finish at the rim. “If there is a silver lining, it’s that we didn’t play terrible in the third quarter”. He has been taking each game one at a time though, based on how he is feeling. That said, the conservative scheme does leave room for wide open jumpers – it’s something the likes of Lowry and Derozan will certainly get to snack on in Sunday’s matinee.
Thoughts on this one?
What was most impressive about Randle’s play was that he picked and chose when to become an offensive factor.
Lowry, who had 25 points against the Lakers and tied a career high with seven 3-pointers in that game, didn’t account for any of the Raptors’ first 29 points against the Clippers. They aren’t having difficulty scoring, ranking as the NBA’s fourth highest at 104.9 Points Per Game [PPG].
“Damian, that kid can go”, Bryant said. They made their shots.
“He has to get better at cutting, and learning that when the ball is in somebody else’s hands, you still be effective”. The Los Angels in the first round of the 1996 National Basketball Association Draft selected him, and he has been the team’s franchise player ever since.
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The Raptors were in control early in the fourth quarter.
